Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/post-type/audio/)
Audio stories from the Spartan Newsroom
In a recent podcast episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Mitch Albom, a distinguished journalist, best-selling author, and philanthropist, shedding light on his career journey, his perspective on the future of journalism, and advice for aspiring journalists.
Custis Square archeological dig site is located on the corner of South Nassau Street and Francis Street.Working alongside John Custis’ previously discovered house, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Department of Archeology is onto its fourth year of investigating Custis’ gardens. Under three tents, participants in the Public Archeology Institute help field techs sift through shovel test pits for changes in soil and artifacts. 50cm x 50cm shovel test pits are samples in which field techs figure out where they want to dig next and learn more about the soil. Two high schoolers work side by side in a sifting screen with samples pulled from a shovel test pit. Meghan, the project archeologist, is in charge of the site on a day-to-day basis.According to Jennifer Mcgee, “The changes of color in these piles of soil represent different periods in time and different types of soil, which help archaeologists date when artifacts may have been made.”Participants in the Public Archeology Institute get a taste of an archeological field tech’s life as they work on their hands and knees sifting through shovel test pits.
On Mar 2, the Board of Education conducted a regular meeting in the Shirley M. Rodgers Administration Bldg. 519 W. Kalamazoo St, Lansing. The Action Items section of the meeting focused on Interagency Agreement which the Board of Education partnered with the Ingham County Health Department to provide high school students in Lansing healthcare service.
Despite the U.S. team’s recent loss in this World Cup tournament, American soccer fans looking toward the future of this increasingly popular sport.
The city of Pontiac, Michigan is holding elections on May 3 for nine seats to the local charter commission, tasked with updating the city’s charter.
The Raise the Wage Michigan Ballot Committee’s proposal would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027, which could impact Meridian Township workers and business owners alike.
Michigan’s current minimum wage is $9.87 an hour. This would increase in one dollar increments over five years. After reaching $15 an hour in 2027, the initiative requires automatic adjustments for inflation each year.
The initiative also seeks to end the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, for people with disabilities and people younger than 20-years old. The sub-minimum wage would be phased out by January 2028.
Audrey RichardsonWaves crash along Lake Michigan’s shoreline during sunrise at Tower Road Beach in Winnetka, Illinois on April 22, 2021. Climate in Chicago
As summer approaches, Chicago residents will likely be heading straight to the beaches that surround the city. Unfortunately, they will also have to prepare for extreme heat.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the most devastating effects of climate change is extreme heat in cities caused by the urban heat island effect. This phenomenon describes the intense warming in cities that occurs when dark surfaces like buildings and concrete absorb and retain heat, increasing temperatures significantly.
Clinical Associate Professor for Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at University of Illinois in Chicago Susan Buchanan said the impact of climate change on Chicago is most evident in the extreme heat and flooding.
Senior Illinois Clean Energy Advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council J.C. Kibbey echoed concerns with Chicago’s extreme heat. Referring to the 1995 Chicago heat wave that caused over 700 heat-related deaths in the city.
Oakland County Ombudsman, Madonna Van Fossen, comments on the year anniversary of SMART FLEX program. SMART FLEX, a pilot program launched by SMART Transportation in March of 2021, celebrated earlier this month its first year. This new program, powered by VIA, a third party company, is a program designed to assist in mobility around major Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. Oakland County Ombudsman, Madonna Van Fossen, explained in an interview that the program has been extremely popular and successful despite recent issues with elements such as national labor shortages and rising gas prices. Here is an overview of her comments, at times edited for brevity and clarity.
Kluge discussed how she was able to use her journalism skills in the real world, incorporating creative design and direction with her writing background to put together magazine spreads, manage teams of creatives, and more.
She also discussed life after college, as well as the steps to take to make the transition into the workforce a little bit easier.
Spartan Newsroom Reporter Madison Kort spoke with Haley Kluge about life, creative communication, and more for Career Conversations. TRANSCRIPT:
Kort: Welcome to Career Conversations, a podcast series about jobs in journalism and related fields from the Spartan Newsroom. My name is Madison Kort, and I am a sophomore at MSU studying journalism and public relations with a concentration in media relations. I am interested in pursuing fashion and entertainment media, so I reached out to MSU alum Haley Kluge who is the senior designer for Netflix Tudum and former art director of Variety Magazine; we talked via Zoom. Kluge: So that was a fast turnaround, but once I got the copy, once I got the photos, really kind of presenting that and making it presentable for book and then ushering it through the process.
Photo by Andrea Pung for LinkedIn
Andrea Pung is the account manager for Channel Bakers and works remotely. Her job consists of tracking data for the company, and managing the money that comes in and out of the different businesses that Channel Bakers represents. Channel Bakers is a business that helps start-up companies launch their endeavors to different platforms to gain more attention. Pung has a background in journalism, advertising and graphic design. She said she didn’t always know what position she would end up in.